1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and method and, more particularly, to an image processing apparatus for reading an original image and forming a visible image on a predetermined recording medium, and a method therefor.
2. Related Background Art
Recent advances in digital color processing techniques have considerably met users' demands on the color appearances of output images and edit processing as well as the image quality and performance of copying machines.
In general, to obtain a desired output image, images are repeatedly output on paper sheets, and the edit contents are checked every time an image is output. With this operation, paper sheets are wasted. Under the circumstances, copying machines having a so-called preview function of displaying an image on a CRT or the like and allowing the user to check the image before a printout operation has become commercially available.
Some of these apparatuses displays a read original image on a black-and-white liquid crystal display and allow the user to check the image. If, however, the main body is a color copying machine, the color appearance of the output image cannot be checked. For this reason, a preview system capable of full-color display is preferably used as a display unit.
Recently, digital color copying machines which allow connection of applications such as a document handler and a sorter to improve the productivity have also become commercially available.
All the preview systems describe above check edit effects on only one original image. When, therefore, the output states of a plurality of originals under edit settings set by the operator are to be checked, the operator must switch the originals one by one to check edit effects on all the originals by preview images, or must check edit effects by actually printing out images. In the former case, it takes time for the operator to switch the originals, posing a problem in terms of productivity. In the latter case, if an output image differs from operator's intention, the output paper sheet is wasted, posing a problem in terms of cost.